Beautiful Dust
by Navana
Summary: When the crew of Serenity go to make a simple drop, things get complicated. Lots of relationship related subtext, but story as well.


"This load's been far more trouble than its worth," Jayne Cobb complained, as he fitted his knitted orange hat on his head and slung his heavy coat over his back.

Malcolm Reynolds had no tolerance at that second to hear Jayne's tongue-wagging. "Zoe, 'we loaded?" The passing question was, of course, aimed at his first mate, who was busily fitting her sawed-off shotgun into its holster as well as slinging a spare holster over her shoulder with two pistols. No funny-business for Zoe Washburne, as usual.

"Packed and ready, sir." That may have been Mal's favorite part about Zoe: she didn't often forget the job, and if she did, she always had a gorram good reason for slipping.

Ignored and still irritated, the all-muscle-no-brains Cobb persisted. "I mean, Mal, we've been chased through space, shot at, stopped by the gorram Alliance stickin their ruttin noses in, chased out of a damn fine establishment, and… and.. Gorram it, Mal, shot at!"

Jayne was frustrated mainly due to him nearly losing his manhood to a bullet. He hadn't been all too quiet when the barrel between his legs began to leak – high enough to scare even him.

Zoe tried to contain her smirk, a thought crossing her mind that she only allowed Mal to see – until Wash appeared from above, making her smile light up.

"Hi, honey," he smiled back at her as he leapt from the last step. "Oh, Captain," he spoke to Mal as he moved to wrap his arm around Zoe's waist; he hated to see her walk into danger, especially one they _knew_ was there. "When we broke atmo, I recall you saying something about it being 15 below…" It was then that the captain of Serenity noticed his pilot's bright, unbundled attire. All three of the departing party, Mal, Zoe, and Jayne, looked like they were ready to walk out into the coldest winter this side of the Outer Rim. "Its hotter that the engine room when Kaylee leaves the heater on outside." This was saying something, too. Mal could easily recall walking into what felt like a Reaver's easy-bake-oven.

Jayne, who had still been going on up to this point, at last stopped, glaring at Mal with a slight twitch in his features, and started to curse loudly in Chinese. At this, he stormed towards the stairs to go remove his four-ish layers of clothes – just in time for Simon to walk distractedly straight into the much larger brute (and narrowly survive).

Fortunately for both Simon and Mal's waning patience with the whole, irritating job, Jayne only scoffed, grunted something incomprehensible, and pushed forward. "What…" the doctor looked terribly confused. It wasn't until he regained his physical balance that he could find words again.

"Have any of you seen River?"

This was it, one more thing, and Malcolm Reynolds was going to lose it. "You _lost_ your crazy sister? On _my_ ship?" he spoke in a frighteningly deadpan tone.

Simon shrunk a little. "Not so much 'lost'… she wandered off on her own… she couldn't have gone far… I mean… I only went to-" he cut himself short as he looked up to see both Inara and River emerge from the Companion's shuttle. However, River did not look like River Tam, but rather a long cascading fall of elegant curls, which trailed delicately behind her slender form. She never did so much as walk – but rather drift. Grace was not the only gift the girl possessed, but it was one of her better ones. Before anyone could catch their run-away words and speak, River giggled. Inara only smiled her bright, elegant smile more.

"Well?" the Companion prompted an answer from them.

Simon, who had began to move unconsciously towards the stairs, couldn't believe what he was seeing. It wasn't horrifying, but it didn't sit quite right with him either. "You look beautiful," he mused, the thread of nervousness in his voice still.

Still grinning form ear-to-ear, River laid her hand gently on his cheek. "Smile." Her touch was filled with a silent understanding that she always possessed.

Everyone stood back, watching; each with different expressions on their faces. Wash looked on, amused and wary at the same time. Zoe's eyes were on the loaded mule, already mentally out the door and driving towards town – but still she was smiling. Above all the others, Mal looked like he was ready to have to pull Simon back from River's grasp.

Every time the girl had something different to her, something broke in her, he equated. It wasn't so much that he disliked her. He rather liked her cheerful side. But it was the other sides – the one that swung at Jayne with a butcher knife, and the one that waved a loaded gun every now and again, and that other one that screamed and thrashed about at all hours – that he disliked.

Now, River giggled and stuck her tongue out just a little at her brother. The girl was many things, but predictable was not one of them.

From behind him, Mal could hear Zoe's boot drag over the metal grating on the floor impatiently. It was time to go.

"Alright, everyone in!" he announced, hopefully loud enough that Jayne could hear from much higher up. "Jayne!" The last part was just for good measure.


End file.
